Railway switch



E. L. NYLUND. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION man JruLv 26,1921.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A, A I /l I d E. L. NYLUND.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.1921.

51,425,680. PatenteaAug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ERIK L. `ivvioiin, or bariton-mentoren.

f RAILWAY swrrcH-f Appiication inea Juiy 2c,

To .all whom t may con-cern.'

Be it known that I, Finn; L. NYLUND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Detroit, in the countyof Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad switches, having reference more particularly toan improved operating mechanism ing the switch rails. i'

The invention has for an object the provision of a mechanism of this character which may be operated from the front of'a moving car or by the engineer from his cabin, for purposes of either opening oi closing the switch, when.. the train approaches from the points ofthe swinging switch members; a further object being to provide a durable and simply constructed mechanism of this character which comprises a novel assemblageof elements soarranged that they may be-operated without jarring action.

In carrying out my invention I employ a bumper comprising a ivoted pinion having a fixed radial arm anll two spring-yielding arms, a rack-bar meshing with said pinion and connecting the two swinging ends of the switch rails, spring means lfor holding said rack-bars against accidental lateral movement, and means mounted on the ends of a car for turning said pinion in either direction for alternately opening and closing` the switch, all as hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a railway having my improvements attached.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary yplan view drawn on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1; f

Fig. 5 is an end view of a freight ca having my improved operating means attached;

Fig. 6 isa detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, and drawn onan enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the lever mechanism for operating the switch;

Specification of Letters `Eateiit.

for swing- 1921. serial No. 487,690.1

rate-atea aeg. is, ieee.

F ig. Slis ,a front vview of said lever-mech;

anism; and

F igf 9 isa fragmentarycross sectiontake'n on the yline 9`-,-9of Fig. 5, and'drawn on an enlarged scale.

in. the drawings' e indiener; 'a teotheaf pinion havingan integral hub3 whichfis mounted on a vertical bolt 1 iiXed to a base i plate 5 which is secured on a relatively wide tieG.

4 are bumper arms 9 and 10, the arm9 having a stud 9, and the arm 10 having a stud F ormedintegral with'the hub'3" is a radial arm 7 jhavng on each side, near its free' end', a stud 8. In swinging relation with the bolt i i.

10a. Fixed between thesaid studs-.of the arm 7 and the studs of the arms 9' and 10 are normally expanded helical springs 11, wherec bythe arms ..9 and 10 .are normallyV maintained at .right langles toeach other. Engaging the teeth' of the pinion 3 is a rack-bar 12 which jis'flexibly jointedfat its end, to the switch rails; 13,- bymeans -ofbearings 14 which are fixed to' saidra-ils. `Saidl rack-bar 12 is flexibly coupled to an adjacent tie'6a, by meansl of i comprising the,` two telescopically connected members 16 and 17, the member 16 is pivoted to the tie 6a, by means of a'bolt 16a, and the member 17 is pivoted to the rack-bar 12 by meansof a bolt 17a, and guide-braces 12a a Vflexible couplingl,

are mounted between the ties 6 ,and '6d' to yinsure smooth lsliding movement o f the rackbar 12. Extendedwithin the coupling 15 is a contractile spring 18 having a normal i tendency to extend the coupling 15, whereby the rack-bar ismaintained set and accidental lateral movement ed.v The switch rails 13 "are further connected by means of cross bars 19 `whicha're thereofis preventpivotally connected to bearings 20-.fiXed to said switch rails. Bearingv plates 13a lare I countersunk in the ties, wher eby smooth surfaces are provided over which 'the switch sections may freely movel witho'utlia'bility of wearing the ties, and provision may be..

made for lubricating said bearing plates. As a meansfor turning the pinion 2, I employ vertically adjustable bars 21 and 22,

which reciprocate within guideways 23 of a;

depending hanger 24E, `which is securely liXed to they ends of the cars, as- 25.` The a contactnshoe 21a, 22@L which are obliquely extended Ifor respectively .engaging c the bumper arms 9 and 10, for operating the presser bars are respectively provided with switch, as hereinafter described. rThese presser bars are operated by means of levers 28 and 29 which respectively swing on pivots 28 andv 29a, said levers being each provided with a slot 30, to allow for their swinging movements, and they `are connected by means of a rocking lever 26l and links 25a. Other means may be employed for operating the presser bars either from `a car or from the engine cab, and l may provide means for locking the presser bars in a neutral or inoperative position on long runs when it is not desired to operate a switch.

in the operation of my invention, when a train or car is moving in the directionof the arrow a, Fig'. l of lthe drawings, and it is de sired to openthe switch it is simply necessary to lift the lever 28, and thereby move the presser bar 2l downwardly, thus bringing the shoe 21a in alignment with the bumper arm 9, whereby it swings the bumper around in the direction oi the arrow 7), for a .suiiicient distance to open the switch.

lt isr noteworthy that the shoclr of the Alirst contact with the bumper arm is absorbed by the springs l1, and then the 'orward movement of the contact shoe carries the bumper around and turns the pinion 2 sufficiently kto open the switch and bring the arm 10 intovpositiou for use, and it remains open until a ollowing'car or train carrying' a presser bar 22 operates to again close the switch by transmitting movement through the arm 10 to therack-bar 12, in an ogposite direction'. Vhen it is not desired to iaeaeeo operate the switch the shoes 2l and 22 are moved into a neutral position abo'x'ie the level. of the bumper arms V9 and l0.

l do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the specific details ci mechanical construction and correlation oi the elements of my improvement as herein shown and described, as under `the spirit of my invention l believe that l am entitled to employ such variations as may rightly Yfall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,

what l claim as newy and desire to secure by Letters Fatent, is: v v

l. In a railway lswitch mechanism, a pivoted bumper comprising a pinion, a rigid arm and yielding` arms, and a rack-bar meshing. with said pinion, said rack-bar connecting the two endsy of switch rails, and spring against accidental lateral movement, and means for swinging said bumper.

2. In a railway switch mechanism, a pivoted bumper comprising a pinion, a rigid arm and yielding arms, and a rack-bar meshing with said pinion, said rack-bars connecting the two ends ot switch rails,y and spring means for holding said rack-bars against accidental lateral movement, anda lever and presser' bar mechanism for operating said bumper. y

Signed at Detroit'in the county of l{Vayne and State of Mich., this 14th day of July it. D. 1921.

ERK L. NYLUND.

means for holding said rack-bar 

